I found this on a blog, and I thought it was a really good thing that we should all keep in mind.
This week, many different rabbis were trying to posit what poor behaviors of Israel and the Jewish people was the "reason" for the current war. Was it the "Gay Parade" scheduled to march in Jerusalem? Was it the lack of modestly dressed people? Previous Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu was asked this exact question this past week -- and he angrily answered as follows:
I suggest that instead of people trying to accuse the Jewish people...and being prosecutors against them...they should adopt the opposite strategy, and be advocates of the Jewish people. Look at the tremendous outpouring of love and concern for the Jews of Northern Israel...what a wonderful people the Jewish nation can be.
If this rabbi really said such a thing I do not know, but it is a horrible mistake and completely against the Torah, besides being an error in logic.
The Churban Bayis was attributed to Sinas Chinam. Would this rabbi say that Chazal were wrong and better we should find the good in the Jews who lived during the Churban? Were Chazal then "accusing the Jewish people?"
As the Chavas Daas writes in the introduction to his commentary on Eichah, there is no point whatsoever to recount tragedies unless we at the same time recount the reasons that caused them, i.e. the sins, in order to ensure that we are careful not to allow them to happen once more.
Throughout history, whenever calamity befell Klall Yisroel, we held it obligatory to access the cause of the suffering, so that we will know what it is within us that needs improvement, and to make sure we know how never to allow that suffering to return.
So the Chasid Yaavetz wrote a sefer, Ohr HaChaim, analyzing the sins that caused the Inquisition. He did not refrain because of "accusing" Klall Yisroel.
Rav Elchonon Wasserman ZTL analyzes the sins that caused Hitler's coming, as well as our suffering during the blood libels in Europe.
Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky ZT”L, in the introduction to Achiezer analyses the sins that caused our suffering during World War I.
The words of the Rambam should suffice here:
"The Torah commands that horns be blown to waken the congregation whenever the Land is hit by tragedy, be it war, epidemic, or drought. These sounds are a call to repentance and a reminder that suffering is a product of sin. For people to interpret such problems as merely coincidental is cruel, because this will repent the nation from changing its ways and cause them to continue the corrupt behaviors that caused the suffering to happen to them in the first place"
When a tsunami strikes, it is wise to determine why, so that we may prevent it from happening again. Same thing for all things - small or large - that you don’t want to happen. So if suffering takes place we want to prevent it. The smart and kind thing to do is to identify the cause and fix it.
Now if this rabbi said that he doesn’t believe this is the cause, or that he doesn’t think we can identify the cause altogether, that would be a different discussion. But he did not say that. He allegedly said that instead of identifying the cause of the problem so that we can fix it, we should talk about what wonderful people we can be.
Oi. This is like someone who sees an epidemic in his community but instead of warning people why it happened so that it should not happen again, he decides "why talk about the bad that people do? Let’s talk about how they take care of their health!".
That is not being an accuser. Accusation only applies before the verdict is given. After the suffering hits, that means the verdict has been made and the sentence is being carried out. It's not as if we are deriving the fact that sins were committed because of the suffering we are going through -- rather, whether or not this suffering would be here, we would still be fully aware of these sins. No secret that they made a gay parade. No secret that it is appalling in the eyes of Hashem.
Those are facts, not "accusations."
We are being told be Hashem that we did something wrong and that we should improve. For us to ignore that just invites more suffering rachmana latzlan.
And as the Rambam says, someone who refuses to connect suffering to sin is cruel, and prevents people from avoiding that suffering in the future.
So now we have another, additional cause of suffering, courtesy of the Rambam. Namely, rabbis who try to prevent us from connecting our suffering to our sins.
Repeat disclaimer: I am not aware if this rabbi actually said this, or if he is being misquoted, or what. I am dealing with the issue, regardless of whoever said it.Also on this topic, see:
http://www.frumteens.com/topic.
php?topic_id=105&forum_id=17&Topic_Title=
Rav+Ovadia%27s+Comment+on+the+Holocaust&forum_title=Punishment
In addition to all of the above, the alleged statement of that rabbi is also a logical fallacy, and intrinsically contradictory. If he would be right, then by his criticizing Jews for assessing the cause of suffering, and saying that what they are doing is wrong, he "accusing" klall yisroel and being a prosecutor against them. Instead of getting angry and publicly accusing Jews of wrongdoing, he should instead look at all the good these people do.
It is absurd to criticize people by saying it is wrong to criticize people.
The difference between this and all the situations the moderator cited is that in those, gedolim took those positions and made those statements, and here, every Yossi Schmoe is stating his own belief. I have not heard one statement from a godol today giving a precise reason for the war. There is a call for teshuva, and we definitely need to do so, but no real da'as Torah is blaming the war on one specific thing. If da'as Torah comes out with such a statement - ok. But who are we to presume that we know what the cheshbon of Hashem?
nechy,
First, Talmidei Chachamim don’t always communicate with Nechy. What a Talmid Chacham says to his Talmidim or anywhere else does not necessarily mean you will hear about it. Usually, you won’t. We are not bound by Nechy's opinions of who is "Joe Shmoe" and who is a Godol.
But more to the point, the statement you quoted did not say that the people talking are not choshuv enough; it said that attributing sins to tragedies is being mekatreg and we should not do it. Such a statement is absolutely wrong.
Q: What should our reaction be when suffering strikes us?
A: If a person sees that suffering is befalling him, he should examine his deeds to see why Hashem is bringing about the suffering, as the Gemora says (Brachos 5a).
The Rambam reiterates this and states (Taanis 1:2,3) that when tragedy befalls us and we do NOT attribute it to sins, it is a great cruelty. Please see my posts above - it's like a doctor seeing a patient with bad lungs and tells him "don’t worry - it has nothing to do with your smoking." By preventing him from knowing the reason for his suffering, you are preventing him from ending the suffering by improving his deeds.
Q: What happens f you examine your deeds and find nothing in them that would make sense out of the suffering that you have endured?
A: The Gemora states if that happens, "You should attribute the suffering to bitul Torah". The simple meaning of the Gemora is that you should assume that the reason you are suffering is for the sin of Bitul Torah. Many Meforshim , including the GRA as well as Chasidishe seforim, interpret the Gemora to mean that the reason you have failed to identify the sin that caused your suffering is because of Bitul Torah. Learn more and you'll find the sin.
Q: What is this principle based on?
A: A posuk. The Gemora derives it from Eichah 3:40 - "nachpsha derocheinu vnachkora, vnashuva el hashem."
Q: What happens if the person is not guilty of Bitul Torah at all, nor could he find any other sin to explain the suffering?
A: In that case, the Gemora says, you should assume the suffering is "yesurim shel ahava." Rashi explains this to mean that Hashem makes someone suffer even if they do not sin in order to give them more reward in the next world. Other Rishonim, such as the Ramban, say that it is not possible for an innocent person to suffer, ever. Yesurim shel ahava, according to him, means that Hashem is punishing for sins that were committed beshogeg.
There are other explanations in Yesurim shel ahava as well.
Q: But how can we know Hashem's motives?
A: We are not identifying Hashem's motive, but rather His message. It's like when your father hits you. He wants you to know why you’re being punished so you shouldn’t do it again. So too, an act of suffering is not an isolate, independent action by Hashem, but rather a direct message to us.
From another angle, though the same idea, is that when Hashem brings punishment He is not acting in a random fashion, but rather facilitating a cause-and-effect reaction to our sins. Just as if r"l a person smokes he can get lung cancer; if he jumps off the roof he can break his leg; of he eats spoiled fish he can get food poisoning - so too certain aveiros bring certain punishments.
And just like a doctor can diagnose the cause of physically induced suffering, so too can we diagnose the cause of spiritually induced suffering. The latter is no more "second guessing" Hashem" than the first.
(to be continued)
Q: We know the methods that doctors use to diagnose physically induced ailments; what are the methods used to dispose spiritually induced ones?
A: Midah kneged midah is one way - the reason Hashem punished midah kneged midah is not because He likes poetic justice; it is in order to make us
aware of what sin caused the suffering. Rav Chaim Volozhen explains the reason why bitul Torah is not as easily identified as the cause of suffering as other sins (hence "pashpesh vlo matza yitleh b'bitul torah) is because whereas suffering normally corresponds to the part of the body that committed the sin, bitul Torah is capable of causing any and all types of suffering.
By Looking into the Torah we can identify the cause of our sufferings the same way as looking into the medical books is the way we identify the cause of physically-induced suffering. There are plenty of types of suffering that the Torah ties to specific sins. Through Torah, we can understand what is happening in the world. This, you don’t have to be a prophet or have Ruach HaKodesh to identify the source of suffering. At least not more than you need Ruach HaKodesh to understand the Torah. Chacham adif minavi. Chazal were baalei ruach Hakodesh, and the prophets were, well, prophets. By understanding their words, we can leverage their understanding and be able to ascertain what Hashem wants from us, the same way we use their words to understand what Hashem wants from us in terms of Halachah and Hashkafa etc.
Of course, some shailos are easier to "pasken" than others, and the requisite level of Torah expertise is required. But it is the Torah that we look into to understand these things - we do not need to look into the Heavens. Chacham adif minavi - looking into the Torah is the best way to understand Hashem's message.
Q: Please cite some examples of where our leaders have looked into the Torah and discerned the reason for suffering
A: Several examples are cited above. I'll reprint them here:
The Churban Bayis was attributed to Sinas Chinam. Would this rabbi say that Chazal were wrong and better we should find the good in the Jews who lived during the Churban? Were Chazal then "accusing the Jewish people?"
As the Chavas Daas writes in the introduction to his commentary on Eichah, there is no point whatsoever to recount tragedies unless we at the same time recount the reasons that caused them, i.e. the sins, in order to ensure that we are careful not to allow them to happen once more.
Throughout history, whenever calamity befell Klall Yisroel, we held it obligatory to access the cause of the suffering, so that we will know what it is within us that needs improvement, and to make sure we know how never to allow that suffering to return.
So the Chasid Yaavetz wrote a sefer, Ohr HaChaim, analyzing the sins that caused the Inquisition. He did not refrain because of "accusing" Klall Yisroel.
Rav Elchonon Wasserman ZTL analyzes the sins that caused Hitler's coming,
as well as our suffering during the blood libels in Europe.
Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky ZT”L, in the introduction to Achiezer analyses the sins that caused our suffering during World War I.
A couple more examples (I could go on forever - our seforim are packed with such pronouncements): The blood libel against Jews has been explained as Mida Kneged Midah for the brothers selling of Yosef and using his blood as a cover.
When there was an earthquake in Tzfas, killing thousands, the Chasam Sofer attributed it to the fact that people had messed up their spiritual priorities by ignoring Yerushalayim and instead focusing on the lesser holy city of Tzfas (he mentioned other specific reasons as well).
Rav Shach said that he is certain that the Yom Kippur War, came in response to the attitude of Kochi Votzem Yadi in the Israeli army.
(to be continued)
Some more examples:
Rav Michoel Ber Weismmandel ("Ten Question to the Zionists") wrote that it was accepted amongst Gedolim during Hitler's rise that his coming was a manifestation of Hashem's anger because of Zionism. The Satmar Rebbe (Introduction to Vayoel Moshe) writes this explicitly - and says that such is clear from the Gemora's description of the punishment for violating the Three Oaths r"l.
The Chazon Ish (explained that the deaths of countless innocent children during the holocaust was Midah Kneged Midah because of the thousands upon thousands of frum children who were sent to heretical schools - some willingly and some unwillingly - schools which the Chofetz Chaim used to refer to as "Molech." There, they burned the souls of Jewish children while maintaining their bodies, and so r"l Midah Kneged Midah took place, Hashem yishmereinu (quoted in Kol Yaakov, by Rav Yaakov Teitelbaum, p. 127, as well as in Maaseh Ish, vol. 5 p.128).
(to be continued)
Rav Elchonon Wasserman, in Ikvesa D'Meshicha, describes how Jews, before WWII, were imitating the non-Jewish ways. His words:
"In recent times Jews have stopped learning Torah, and as a result, they have spare time. How do they spend their free time? They go in droves to the amusement places and theaters, returning home filled with unholy thoughts;
thus the Jewish home also becomes defiled.
"Hashem's answer was not long in coming: Like lepers, Jews are driven form the Gentiles' places of entertainment ... 'If you do not keep apart from the nations, you will be delivered into the hands of Nevuchdnezzar and his cohorts' (Rashi on Vayikra 20:26).
"These days, the Jews have chosen two 'idols': socialism and nationalism [i.e. Zionism - Mod]...The doctrine of Jewish nationalism can be summed up in the phrase 'Let us be like the goyim'. All that is required of a Jew is to have nationalist feelings. If he pays the shekel and sings Hatikvah, he is exempt from all the Mitzvos.
"Clearly, according to the Torah way of thinking, this is idol worship. These two forms of idolatry have poisoned the hearts and minds of Jewish youth...
"And now a miracle has happened: In Heaven, these two idolatrous organizations have merged into one: national-socialism, the deprived Nazi movement. It has grown into a horrendous rod of Hashem's wrath which strikes at the Jews in all corners of the globe. The abominations to which we have bowed down are striking back at us.
Your evil deeds will punish you' (Yirmiyah 2:19) - Ikvesa Demeshicha, p. 38. 39, English version.
Rav Elchonon uses the Midah Kneged Midah principle consistently to explain our sufferings during the WWII period (see also p.59,60).
(to be continued)
More contemporary examples:
If memory serves, an article in the Jewish Observer by Yonason Rosenblum, written a few years ago, cites Rav Moshe Shapiro as stating that the reason for the dangerous situation in EY today is due to the attitude of Kochi V'Otzem Yadi (similar to Rav Shach above) - if anyone can pinpoint that article and quote for me please let me know.
Rav Avigdor Miller (quoted in Nation On Fire, by Sara Shapiro, p. 306) stated that the reason for the Intifada was Mida Kneged Midah: Ehud Barak issued a statement that he was planning to transform EY into a secular state. "Because Barak made a decision to go against Hashem and assure that Torah would have no place in the secular nation, Hashem said, 'Now I’m going to teach you a lesson.' Now they are crying to Hashem 'Please help us Hashem.' Even the non-religious Jews are crying out. This is Mida Kneged Midah."
In his Rejoice O Youth, Rabbi Miller explains most of the major tragedies that took place during Golus with the rules that Chazal tell us about punishments:
"When the Jews in Spain began to use that wealthy land as a means of mingling with the Arabs and Spaniards, G-d's plan caused them to be expelled to lands of lesser culture, such as Turkey and Poland, with whom our people had no incentive to assimilate. (#590) Serious persecutions in Russia began only when the Jewish assimilationists began to preach that Judaism is darkness and among the gentiles all is light and joy. (#595)
"But on the upsurge of the greatest defection
from the Torah in history, which was expressed in Poland by materialism, virulent anti-Torah nationalism, and Bundism, G-d's plan finally relieved them all of Free Will and sent Hitler's demons to end the existence of these communities before they deteriorated entirely. The European Jews, many of whom had long admired and imitated the Germans, were finally weaned from this enamoration by the German murder factories. The survivors would find it difficult to admire the inhuman devils who had gassed their families and tortured to death six million Jews." (#596)
He has much more, but that is a sampling.
(to be continued)Q: So can I, a random teenage boy or girl, figure out why Hashem is making me suffer
A: Not likely. On one hand, Hashem wants you to improve something, which is why He makes us suffer; on the other hand, as I mentioned, to decipher Hashem's message takes Torah knowledge - it's like paskening a shailah. Without the requisite Torah expertise, it’s not likely you’ll find the right answer. If you won’t rely on your own pshat in the Tosfos, I would say surely you do not want to rely on your own pshat in Hashem's messages. Remember the GRA's explanation of yitleh b'bitul Torah --- if you can’t identify the aveirah that’s causing the suffering, that is because you don’t know enough Torah. Ergo: If you don’t learn enough Torah you aren’t going to find the answer.
And if you do find it, if you’re guilty of lot of Torah ignorance, you’re likely not to find the right one.
As an example, someone once came to the Chazon Ish (the same Chazon Ish who identified the reason for innocent children being murdered in the holocaust) and told him he was saved miraculously, and he wants to know what Hashem wants him to do, because clearly, Hashem wants something from him.
The Chazon Ish knew this person from before, and realized that he was asking not about simply fixing his sins - that he would surely do - but about some lofty levels that Hashem, to his mind, requires of him, or something like that. So to him the Chazon Ish said, "It's impossible to know, and therefore, you can get lost in areas you don’t belong ("farkrichen" in Yiddish). Therefore, do nothing."
So in your case I would suggest following the advice of Rav Shach (quoted in Maaseh Ish vol. 2 p. 146):
When suffering strikes, it is understood that when you see the something obvious and clear as the reason, or you feel specific things that need to be rectified, it’s obvious that in such a case you are obligated to fix those things. And if someone does not try to rectify those things, he will be held greatly responsible r"l. However, in general, when a person does not know why something happened, he should not try to start analyzing things, but rather, he should strengthen himself in his Torah learning, and through the increased Torah learning his Neshomah will be strengthened (besides the learning itself). In addition, he should improve his davening, more kavana etc.
I would also advise that even when things appear "obvious", you should consult with a Talmid chacham. What is obvious to one person may be anything but to someone who is more knowledgeable.
The idea that nowadays if we start analyzing our actions in complex ways, we are liable to go totally off the mark, comes form the Chazon Ish - see Maaseh Ish vol. 2 p. 146.
(to be continued)
A caveat to the above:
I mentioned this elsewhere, but it is worthwhile repeating.
The entire idea of attributing suffering to specific sins only applies when you know of the existence of the sins already. But if someone is suffering, and they ask you what they did to deserve this, if you try to say well, it must be that you did such-and-such sin to deserve this, that's no good. Because in that case, you are being mekatreg. You don’t know whether the sin was committed altogether, and if it was, under what circumstances or what context. And therefore, by saying that a certain sin must have brought about the suffering, you are saying that the person deserves the suffering for his sins. That’s the mistake that was made in sefer iyov - just because iyov was suffering does not mean you can see in him. (E.g. see Igros Chazon Ish 1:201).
